Riebel state hurdles champ Huskies 3rd, PHS girls 4th

Tuesday

May 9, 2017 at 5:41 PM

By Mike Erwin | Journal-Capital

OKLAHOMA CITY — Kyleigh Riebel starts races well, and finishes them even better.

Running leadoff at 100, 200 and 400 meters, Riebel put Lady Huskie relay squads in position to win one third- and two fourth-place medals in last weekend’s Class 2A State Track Meet held at Western Heights High School.

Riebel also brought home a first-place medal. The PHS junior won an individual state championship Saturday afternoon in her primary event — the 300-meter hurdles.

In the finals, Riebel ran a personal-best time of 46.18 seconds. She established a clear lead before reaching the third hurdle and expanded it down the straightaway before crossing the finish line more than two seconds ahead of her closest opponent.

Although she placed third in the 300 hurdles as a freshman, injuries prevented Riebel from competing in the event at the 2016 state meet. Her only hurdling loss this season came at a mid-April meet in Chisholm to senior Sydney Ruder of the host Lady Longhorns, a Class 3A team. (Riebel and Ruder may have a rematch at the upcoming Oklahoma Track Coaches Association’s Meet of Champions.)

A week earlier, all the Riebel-led relays had won Regional titles at Okemah, where she also captured the 300 hurdle honors.

With 38 points, the Lady Huskies tied Cashion for fourth in the 2A girls’ team standings. The Millwood Lady Falcons, after dropping from Class 3A, racked up a winning total of 101. Warner (with 67 points) was second, while Hooker (39) took third and Porter placed sixth (35).

HUSKIES THIRD

Pawhuska’s boys combined for 54 points and finished third in the team competition. Individually, the Huskies earned eight third-place medals, collected five third-place finishes, as well as five fourths abd five fifths.

The Hobart Bearcats, with 114 points, won the 2A boys team championship. Millwood (66) took second place, a dozen points ahead of Pawhuska, while Afton and Mooreland tied for fourth — eight points behind the Huskies. In all, 32 schools put up points in the boys’ division.

“We actually were in second place almost the entire day Saturday,” PHS head coach Mark Frye said. “Millwood didn’t catch up until right at the end of the day’s last race (the 4 x 400 relay).”

Huskies picked up eight third-place medals to go along with five fourths and five fifths.

Tucker’s fourth-place time at 1600 meters (4:46.96) was nearly 10 seconds faster than qualifying time. The Pawhuska senior stayed close to Hooker’s Jose Amador, who won both of the events last year, but came in third this time around.

Another of the Huskie seniors, Nathan Richardson took third in the pole vault. According to Frye, Richardson’s pole snapped in half as he made his first attempt at 12 1/2 feet.

“He got another pole and went back to clear and assure himself of third,” the coach of the Huskies said.

Richardson also went over at 13 feet. Pawhuska freshman Tre Harper placed eighth in the vault, clearing 11 feet.

The Huskies took third in the 4 X 200 relay, with junior Brian Jeffers and seniors Tyler Wilson, Ben Gray and Graves. Hobart was first and Wynnewood placed second.

In the 4 x 100 relay, the Huskies were fourth, with Wilson, Jeffers, freshman Evan Frye and Graves.

Senior Will Merrill finished fifth in the high jump and was part of fifth-place 4 x 400 and 4 x 800 relays.

Riebel’s winning time in 300-meter hurdles was 46.18 seconds. The runnerup came in at 48.21 and the third-place finisher in 48.53.

Lady Huskies relays took one third and two fourths and a 12th.

They finished third in the 4 x 200 (junior Kyleigh Riebel, freshman Alyssa Reynolds, freshman Tatyana Curry, and sophomore Kiana Taylor) with a time of 1:48.63, fourth in the 4 x 100 (Riebel, Reynolds, Curry and junior Star Sweeden) with a time of 50.82, and fourth in the 4 x 400 (Riebel, freshman Kaiti Moen, senior Heather Conner and Reynolds) in 4:19.52.

Pole vaulter Aubrie Walker finished tied for seventh at a height of 7 feet, 6 inches. Ashley Henley took ninth in the shot put with a toss of 32 feet, while Lynlea McGuire finished one spot back with a put of 31 feet, 11 inches.

In discus, sophomore Lynlea McGuire finished 10th with a throw of 85 feet, 9 inches, which was 2-feet longer than her previous best.